Dry Weather Forces SD Row Crops to Rapidly Advance

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota producers say dry weather has forced row crops to rapidly advance to the mature stage and has triggered the start of an early harvest.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its weekly crop report that row crop harvest has begun for some areas, with 7 percent of corn harvested. Forty-five percent of corn was in the mature stage.

The report says 34 percent of soybeans were rated mature, compared to 5 percent the previous week. Sorghum was at 42 percent mature, up from 12 percent the week before.

Topsoil moisture was rated 8 percent adequate, 29 percent short and 63 percent very short. Subsoil moisture was at 7 percent adequate, 31 percent short and 62 percent very short.

Meanwhile, Minnesota's corn and soybean harvests are getting going ahead of schedule.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its weekly crop weather report Monday that Minnesota's corn and soybean crops were 2 percent harvested as of Sunday, compared with 0 percent for the five-year average.

Other harvest progress in the report include potatoes at 37 percent, sweet corn at 88 percent, dry beans at 49 percent, and sugarbeets at 10 percent complete, all ahead of their averages. The canola harvest was nearly complete at 99 percent harvested.

Crop development continues ahead of average for corn and soybeans, while their condition ratings are little changed from last week.

Rainfall was generally below average last week while temperatures were above normal.  Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 69 percent short or very short.